


Saba and Savta

by Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan



Category: NCIS
Genre: Family, Gen, Grandparents & Grandchildren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-07 05:46:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18866962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan/pseuds/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan
Summary: Tony and Ziva have their two young grandsons for a long weekend. Part of the "You Complete Me" universe.





	1. Friday Night

Saba and Savta

_Tony and Ziva have their two grandsons for the weekend; August 2039 (Levi – 25 months; Anthony IV - 17 months)_

Chapter 1: Friday night

"Hi, Ima," LJ walked into the kitchen from the garage; he had just come home from his job at the rec center where he helped with the children's art programs for the summer. "What's for dinner?" He hugged his Ima and turned quickly when little arms wrapped around his legs.

"Unka Blue Jay!" Levi was excited to see his uncle; little Anthony was wrapped around his other leg. Both boys grinned up at their uncle.

Ziva smiled at her youngest with her grandsons; both little boys loved their Uncle LJ and usually ran to him when they visited. "We are having lasagna since both of them like that food. Remember that we have the boys for a long weekend."

LJ reached down to the two toddlers, ruffling their hair, "Three days with my favorite nephews! I'll bet they will like all of the things I've brought home for them." He turned to Ima, "I found some finger paints that are washable and not supposed to stain."

"We shall see," Ziva thought of the potential mess involved. "We will eat as soon as Abba gets home. You can help by getting the booster seats out for the boys."

"Papa!" Levi spotted his great-grandfather coming from the bedroom hallway. Both boys went running towards the old man. Ziva was just about to warn them about being careful around Gibbs when the front door opened.

"I'm home," Tony announced. The two boys turned and ran to their Saba.

"SABA!" Levi yelled as he ran and flung himself into his Saba's arms. Anthony was right behind his cousin and both boys were soon wrapped in Saba hugs, one in each arm. Tony scooped them up with a huge DiNozzo grin on his face. Ziva smiled at her husband with the grandkids.

"How are my big boys today?" Tony grinned at his grandsons and placed a soft kiss on top of each boy's head. "Are you ready to have fun with Saba for the WHOLE weekend?"

"Savta, too," Levi added. "And Unka Blue Jay and Papa!" Anthony just grinned at his Saba as Tony carried both little boys to the dining room.

LJ had placed the booster seats on chairs next to Ziva and to himself. Grandpa would have his usual seat at the end of the table. He put Levi in a seat as Tony put Anthony in the other one. Ziva carried in the pan of lasagna and set it near her place for serving. She went back to the kitchen to get the plates for the toddlers. She had already cut pieces for them and put the pieces on dishes to cool. She chopped the servings into bite-sized pieces for the kids.

Anthony spotted the food, "Me, me… eat!" He reached for his dish as Ziva placed it in front of him. No sooner had she put it down than both of the boy's hands were grabbing pieces of lasagna.

"Kid has DiNozzo food genes," Gibbs commented.

LJ grinned at his Grandpa, "It comes with the name, Grandpa. Especially if the kid has all three…"

Tony stuck his tongue out at his youngest, "And he should be proud to carry the name! Food genes and all." He ruffled the little boy's hair. Anthony stopped shoving food in his mouth and scowled at his Saba. Ziva laughed out loud at the toddler's expression.

Levi, meanwhile, had been using his spoon to shovel the lasagna into his mouth. His plate was almost empty already. "More, pweese, Savta," he spoke through a mouthful of food and held up his dish. LJ handed his Ima the dish and she placed another piece of lasagna on it and handed it back to LJ.

"Chop it up for him, please, motek." LJ chopped it into smaller bites for Levi and placed the dish in front of his nephew.

"Toda, Unka Blue Jay." Levi scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth. "Mmmm, good, mmmm."

After everyone had their fill of the lasagna, LJ helped his Ima clear the table while Tony wiped both little boys' faces and hands with a wet cloth. LJ took the ice cream container out of the freezer. Ziva grabbed bowls and the ice cream scoop. Both headed to the dining room.

Levi spotted the ice cream first, "ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM!" Ziva served all of the family their dessert as LJ and Levi high-fived for their favorite sweet food.

After dinner, Gibbs retired to his rooms to watch TV. LJ finished clearing the table and loaded the dishwasher. Ziva and Tony took both little ones to what had been the twins' room to get them ready for a bath. Tony ran the bath water as Ziva pulled clothes off the kids. Anthony had quite a bit of food on his neck and chest from dinner. Levi insisted that he could take his own clothes off, so Ziva let him do as much as he could by himself.

"Bath is ready," Tony scooped up a naked Anthony as Levi followed him to the bathroom. "In you go," he placed Anthony in the tub and then Levi. Anthony grabbed several of the plastic boats that his Saba had put in the water for the boys to play with. While they were playing with the toys, Ziva quickly washed both boys' hair and then had Tony help her rinse their heads. Levi was okay with it, but Anthony cried at first at having water run over his head.

Tears faded quickly when Tony showed Anthony how to splash Levi. Levi splashed back, getting both of his grandparents wet as well. Ziva gave her husband a glare. He grinned at her and she finally relented. "I guess a little bit of wet never hurt anyone."

LJ came in as the bath was almost over, "Do you need any help? Oh, just who took a bath?" He had spotted the wet clothes on his parents. Tony grinned at LJ and picked up Anthony, wrapping him in a hooded towel. Ziva picked up Levi and put a towel around him. Both little boys grinned at their uncle.

Tony put Anthony down on the carpet in the bedroom and turned to get his diaper and pajamas. Anthony dropped his towel and took off running down the hallway, laughing. "Hey!" Tony turned just in time to see Anthony's back going out the door. Ziva had put Levi down, and he took off the minute she took her hands off him, following his cousin out the door.

"I'll get them," LJ laughed and took off after the two naked little boys. As LJ walked out of the room, Ziva and Tony met gazes and both burst out laughing.

"We seem to have this thing for having kids take off unclothed on us," Ziva chuckled. "I think all five of ours did that at least once!"

Tony laughed back, "Some of them did it many times! The twins seemed to like running off naked when only one of us was giving them the bath."

LJ rounded up Levi in the hallway near the kitchen and then found Anthony in the family room. He balanced a boy on each hip and carried them back to the bedroom. "If you are good boys, we can have some story time and then get Saba and Savta to sing 'Numi, Numi' with Saba on the guitar. Would you like that?" Both toddlers nodded and grinned at their uncle. They already knew how soothing Savta's lullaby could be.

"Here we go, Ima and Abba. I promised them 'Numi, Numi' with both of you…" he handed a boy to each of his parents and then stood by the doorway in case of another escape attempt. Tony quickly put Anthony's diaper on and then his pajamas. Ziva helped Levi put on his sleep pull-ups and pajamas.

"Okay, let's get those teeth brushed," LJ led the boys to the sink as Tony went to get his guitar and Ziva put the towels on racks to dry. Five minutes later, both little boys were on either side of their Saba as he read them a story about Frog and Toad. Anthony started rubbing his eyes and Levi put his thumb in his mouth. Tony shifted so that he could get to the guitar and sat on the chair in the room. Ziva tucked each boy under the covers and nodded to her husband to start playing.

"Numi, numi, numi, nim…" she began singing as Tony played the chords and sang with her. LJ smiled from where he was sitting on the floor near the beds. He would never be too old to appreciate his Ima's lullaby.

Ziva sang the last notes as Tony strummed the final chords; both toddlers were asleep. Anthony was snoring softly and Levi had his thumb still in his mouth. Ziva kissed each of her grandson's heads, "Laila tov, motek." Tony put the guitar against the chair and softly kissed each little boy's head.

They exited the room quietly. LJ gave each of his nephews a good night kiss and then went through the shared bath to his room. Ima's magic still worked on him! He shook his head to wake himself enough to change to sleep clothes.


	2. Saturday

Chapter 2: Saturday

About 0600, LJ felt little feet on his bed. He opened his eyes to both boys sitting looking at him. He pulled them under the sheet, tucking a boy on each side and wrapping an arm around each one. He hummed 'Numi, Numi' softly and all three fell back asleep. Around 0730, Ziva went to check on her grandsons. She didn't see them in their beds so she walked through the bathroom to LJ's room and smiled at the sight of her youngest with the boys on each side. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and snapped several pictures.

LJ stirred, "Boker tov, Ima. They came in here early, so I figured we'd all try to sleep some more. I guess humming to them worked!" Both toddlers were now waking up. Anthony yawned and sat up, grinning at his uncle. Levi spotted Savta and climbed off the bed.

"Hungee, Savta, pancakes, pweese?"

"Yes, motek; we shall have pancakes and blueberries for breakfast!" Ziva reached a hand to each boy. They each held her hand and followed her out the door to the kitchen. LJ wasn't far behind. Tony was already making pancakes and turkey bacon. He grinned at his grandsons.

As Ziva helped the boys climb into their booster seats, LJ filled plastic cups with straws with apple juice for each little one. Tony handed Ziva the plates for the boys with pancakes and bacon. He poured more batter on the griddle to make pancakes for the adults. He stacked a half dozen on LJ's plate, and then three on Ziva's plate. The last four he put on his own plate and carried it to the dining table.

"I can make more pancakes if we need," he said to Ziva and LJ. Anthony was dipping his pieces of bacon and pancake into the syrup on his plate. Levi was being a bit more civilized by trying to use his fork to stab pieces of pancake, but got frustrated and finally just picked them up with his fingers.

"Mornin'," Gibbs came into the dining room with his mug of coffee.

"Want some pancakes?" Tony asked. "I can make some more in a jiffy."

"No, thanks. Had my oatmeal earlier." Gibbs smiled at his great-grandsons. "Mornin' Levi and Anthony!"

"Hi, Papa," Levi grinned with a mouthful of pancakes. "I like pancakes!"

"Papa!" Anthony held up a piece of bacon and grinned. He popped the food into his mouth. "Mmmm…"

LJ turned to his Grandpa, "Are we still on for the art store today? Do you need to go anywhere else?"

Gibbs nodded, "Art store for sure. May need to make a stop for meds; I'll check. Leave about 0930 okay?"

"Sure, I'm flexible today, Grandpa," LJ had planned to spend at least half the day with his grandfather. "Ima, do you need us to pick up anything while we're out?"

Ziva thought a minute, "Another gallon of I-C-E C-R-E-A-M…" She hoped that spelling it out would avoid having Levi understand and then ask for the frozen dessert.

LJ grinned and nodded when Levi perked up and then asked, "Ice cream? Yay!" He held up a hand to high-five with Levi.

"Ima, do I have to remind you again that I C sounds like the word ice, so he's gonna guess even if you spell it?" LJ smirked at his mother. She had learned long ago with LJ that spelling something she didn't want him to hear didn't always work, especially if it was related to ice cream.

Ziva sighed, "One of these days I will remember. Remember that Uncle Tim and Aunt Dee will be here for dinner around 1730. I plan to make olive chicken for the adults and chicken nuggets for the boys."

"Got it, Ima; Grandpa and I will probably have lunch out." LJ put his plate in the kitchen and went to his room to get dressed to go out with his grandfather. Gibbs went to his rooms to check if he needed meds and get his walker for going out with LJ.

"So, what do you want to do with the boys today?" Tony asked Ziva as they finished breakfast. "We could just stay here or go someplace?"

Ziva thought a minute, "What about the National Zoo? I would bet the boys would like the Kids Farm area and the American Trail exhibit where you can play with the sand and water. We could take the Metro. The double stroller folds up pretty easily, so that we do not have to carry the boys if they get tired."

"Sounds good to me," Tony responded. "The stroller is in the van already with their car seats. Do you need to get anything ready for dinner before we leave?"

"No; I already have the meat marinating. I will check the diaper bag to make sure we have enough supplies for both boys, if you will get them dressed, please," Ziva nodded in the direction of the boys who were in the play room with the Tonka trucks.

"On it," Tony replied. He walked into the playroom. "Who wants to go on the train and to the Zoo?" he grinned at his grandsons. Two DiNozzo grins looked back at him. "Okay, then. Let's go get dressed and ready to go!"

The boys followed him to the bedroom, where Ziva had laid out a clean diaper for Anthony, daytime pull-ups for Levi and matching outfits with red shorts and a cartoon zebra printed on the t-shirt. Tony pulled Anthony's pajama top over his head as Levi pulled off his pajama bottoms. He slid the nighttime pull-up down and headed to the bathroom.

"Good boy, Levi. That's how to stay dry like a big boy!" Tony pulled Anthony's pajama bottoms off and then untaped the diaper. "Uh oh, big mess!" He held his nose, making Anthony giggle. "Let's get the wipes and take care of you…"

Fifteen minutes later, both boys were ready to go. Tony met Ziva by the front door with the boys. She had the diaper bag hanging on the coat rack by the door. Tony put his phone and wallet in his pockets and grabbed his keys. "Next stop, Metro Station!"

Ziva strapped Anthony into his car seat as Tony got Levi ready to ride. They shut the sliding side doors of the van and climbed in front. Tony started the engine after he and Ziva buckled seat belts.

"Go, A-ba, go!" Anthony yelled out. "Af-ta, go!"

"Yay, go fast, Saba!" Levi added. "Savta, tell Saba to go!"

"Yes, sirs!" Tony grinned and pulled the van out of the driveway. He headed to the nearest Metro station so that they could take the train to the Zoo instead of fighting to find a parking place after paying $35 to park near the Zoo.

They were behind a delivery truck that was moving slowly; Tony was watching his rear view and side view mirrors to move over a lane to pass when Levi yelled out, "Get outta the way dumb butt!" Ziva tried not to laugh, biting her lower lip. She could see Tony trying to keep from laughing as well.

"I wonder who drives in the morning, Tali or Chaim?" Ziva asked quietly. "I would bet money he got that from his mother." Tony nodded his agreement as he slid over to pass the truck.

"DUT!" Anthony pointed at the truck as they passed. "DUT tuk."

"Dumb butt!" Levi added.

"Oh, great, he's got Anthony saying it," Tony whispered just so Ziva could hear. "Hopefully, Anthony will forget by the time we get back home!"

Tony parked at the train station and he and Ziva used their MetroPass cards, each one getting one free child fare for the boys. Once on the Metro, the boys were pointing out lots of new-to-them things to their grandparents. They got off the train at the Cleveland Park Station for an easier walk to the zoo entrance. Both boys rode in the stroller, happily chattering away.

At the Kids' Farm, the boys got to see cows, alpacas, hogs, donkeys, goats, chickens, and fish. One of the alpacas licked Levi's hand when he offered the animal some feed in a cup. Levi at first shrank back into his Saba, not quite sure what to think of the large animal. Anthony laughed at the alpaca's long tongue, but like his cousin was not too sure about getting licked by the animal. Both boys liked petting the chickens and the donkeys.

"Soft, Saba," Levi laughed at the feel of the donkey's fur. Tony and Ziva both snapped many pictures of the little ones with the animals. Ziva got a great shot of Anthony with his laughter at the donkey braying, and Tony got some video of the boys trying to sound like the donkey.

At the American Trail, they saw wolves, river otters, ravens, an underwater view of the sea lions, and the Tide Pool. The Tide Pool is a shallow wave pool with models of sea stars, barnacles, and mussels. The boys loved splashing in the wading area and reaching into the water for the interesting objects.

When Levi announced that he was hungry, Anthony perked up. "ME EAT!" he told his Savta. They found the Seal Rock Café near the American Trail exhibit and ordered hot dogs for Levi and Anthony, soft pretzels for all of them and drinks. After the meal, Tony found a gift shop near the American Trail. Ziva showed the boys the books about the sea lions and the other animals they had seen. She bought one of each book for each boy. Tony found the plush sea lions and other animals. Anthony picked a plush bean bag wolf and Levi picked a sea lion. After the gift shop, Ziva suggested that they go use the family rest room one last time before they headed out to the Metro station to go home. Anthony hugged his wolf the entire time Ziva was changing his diaper. Levi handed his sea lion to Saba to hold for him while he used the potty.

On the walk back to the Metro, both toddlers fell asleep in the stroller. Tony couldn't resist snapping a picture or two of them clutching their new stuffed animals. Luckily, the train was relatively empty, so the little ones could stay in the stroller. Ziva was glad that she didn't have to wake them until they got to the van.

Tony helped Levi get into his car seat, while Ziva put Anthony into his. Both boys were still half asleep, so they were quiet on the ride home. They hugged their plush animals and watched the passing cars and scenery. Ziva hoped they would both take a bit more nap time when they got back to the house, but it seemed that would not be the case. No sooner had Tony shut off the engine in the driveway than Levi asked for food. Of course Anthony heard the mention of food and he was now also wide awake!

Inside, Ziva put juice into lidded cups with straws and animal crackers into plastic bowls for each of the toddlers. Tony took them out on the deck to eat their snack while Ziva started preparing the olive chicken for baking. She finished the prep and put the pan in the oven to cook. After cutting the other chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces and breading them to cook later for the boys, Ziva went out on the deck.

Tony had animal crackers in each hand and was pretending the animals were walking on the table top. "And the lion, aryeh, roared," Tony looked at the boys. "ROWR!" the three yelled together. Levi walked his lion cracker to Saba's and Anthony imitated the other two.

"ROWR!" All three ate the lion crackers, grinning.

"Ooh, meow, meow, says the cat, khatul," Tony picked up a cat-shaped cracker and helped Anthony and Levi find cats. "Meow, meow!" the boys repeated. Levi held up a different animal after popping the cat cracker in his mouth. Tony looked to see the animal.

"That's a donkey, Levi. We saw donkeys today, remember? Khamor." Tony grinned as Anthony made the braying sound of the donkey. "Anthony remembers!" Ziva laughed out loud as all three made donkey sounds. She loved that Tony was also using the Hebrew words for the boys to learn.

"Af-ta," Anthony held out his donkey cracker to his grandmother and made his donkey sound.

Ziva moved next to Anthony and he put the cracker near her mouth. She opened her mouth and he put the cracker in. "Toda, Anthony." The little boy grinned at his Savta.

Levi also handed Ziva a cracker, "I share, Savta. Donkey for you."

Ziva smiled at her older grandson, "Toda, Levi."

As the four were finishing up the snack, LJ and Gibbs returned from their errands. Levi spotted his uncle and great-grandfather as they were opening the deck door. "Unka Blue Jay! Papa!" He ran over to them followed by Anthony. Both boys hugged LJ's legs and he picked them up.

"Did you have fun today with Saba and Savta?" he asked them.

"Yep, we saw donkey and chickens," Levi replied. Anthony did his donkey sounds as Levi continued, "We rode trains. We saw sea lions. We got books."

"We went to the Kids' Farm and the American Trail at the National Zoo," Ziva explained to her son. "We decided to ride the Metro instead of trying to find parking. The boys loved the Tide Pool. Afterwards we went to the gift shop and found several books about the animals we saw. Abba also bought them each a stuffed animal."

"Ima, you and Abba spoil these two!" LJ grinned.

"Just as your grandfather spoils you," Tony responded. "It comes with being a grandparent."

LJ put the boys down and then asked them if they wanted to play in the yard. Both boys nodded and followed their uncle out to the swing set and fort.

"He is so good with the little ones," Ziva noted to Tony and Gibbs. "And they adore their uncle." She got up to check on the chicken in the oven and start the pasta. As she opened the deck door to go inside, Tim and Delilah came in the front door.

Ziva hugged both of them and mentioned that Tony, Gibbs, LJ, Levi, and Anthony were out in the back yard. Tim went outside to join the others in the back, and Dee went into the kitchen to help Ziva with the meal.

At dinner, Levi sat between Ziva and LJ while Anthony was between his McGee grandparents. All enjoyed the olive chicken and pasta; even the two little ones tried some of the olives and marinated chicken. Anthony ate every bit of the bites that Tim put on his plate and then dipped his chicken nuggets into the remaining sauce. Levi was not too sure about the olives; he ate more of the plain chicken nuggets while his cousin ate the olive chicken.

Gibbs retired to his rooms after dinner. The others watched a Disney movie in the family room. Anthony sat with Delilah and Tim on the sofa, alternating between his grandparents' laps. Levi started in Ziva's lap on the loveseat, but ended up sprawled across his Saba and Savta. When Tony paused the movie to bring snacks out for everyone, the two boys sat on the floor with their popcorn and root beer floats. After the snack, the toddlers climbed into Tony's recliner with LJ and snuggled into his sides. Ziva leaned against Tony as he wrapped an arm around her.

As the final credits rolled, Ziva glanced over at the recliner and nudged Tony. "All three are asleep," she said quietly, indicating LJ, Anthony and Levi. All four grandparents took pictures with their phones. Tim picked up Anthony, Tony picked up Levi, and Ziva gently woke LJ. The four grandparents headed to the boys' room to get them settled for the night. LJ yawned and stretched and then went into the kitchen to put dishes from the snacks into the dishwasher and finish cleaning up in the kitchen.


	3. Sunday

Chapter 3: Sunday

Both Levi and Anthony woke up about 0630 and when they heard noise from the kitchen they went to see who was awake. Gibbs was making himself coffee and oatmeal. "Papa, I hungee," Levi tugged at his great-grandfather's shirt.

"How about some oatmeal and strawberries?" he asked the boys.

"Mmmm, eat!" Anthony grinned. Levi nodded his agreement. Gibbs made enough oatmeal for the three of them and put the sliced strawberries on a side dish. He took the boys' food to the breakfast nook table and pulled out the chairs for Levi and Anthony to climb up. He handed each of the toddlers a spoon and then put cups of milk at their places before sitting down with his own bowl of oatmeal and mug of coffee.

"Toda, Papa," Levi grinned with a mouthful of strawberries.

"Papa!" Anthony grinned as well. "Eat!"

After they finished eating, Gibbs put the dishes in the dishwasher and wiped the boys' hands and faces. He left a note for Ziva on the counter and then poured himself some more coffee and followed the little ones to the playroom. Anthony handed his Papa the plush wolf that Saba had bought for him the day before. He raised his head and howled like a wolf, making Gibbs laugh.

"Oof," Anthony howled again, and Levi joined him. "Oooh, oooh…"

"Ze'ev. Wolf," Levi had a very serious face as he said the words to Papa.

"Very good, Anthony and Levi. Wolf." Gibbs grinned at his great-grandsons and hugged the two little boys. "Would you like to hear a story about a wolf?" He went over to the children's books on the built-in bookcase. After a bit of hunting, he found the book he wanted, Walk With A Wolf, a favorite of their Uncle LJ when he was their age.

He sat on the loveseat by the window and helped the boys sit on either side of him. Anthony hugged his stuffed wolf. "This was one of Uncle LJ's favorite stories when he was little," Gibbs began to read, showing the toddlers the pictures of the wolves. As he was reading to Levi and Anthony, Ziva stepped in the doorway quietly. Tony was behind her. They stopped and watched Gibbs with their grandsons. Tony snapped a picture with his phone; something he would show Levi and Anthony in later years to help them remember their Papa.

Gibbs finished reading the story and looked up to see Ziva, Tony and LJ watching him. The toddlers spotted their grandparents and uncle and ran over for hugs.

"Unka Blue Jay!" Levi wrapped his arms around his uncle's leg. Anthony grinned at his Saba as Savta scooped him up into a hug.

"Eat. Af-ta," Anthony declared. "Eat. A-ba."

"They had oatmeal and strawberries with me earlier, Ziver," Gibbs informed her. "That one is always hungry!" He gestured at Anthony.

"I am planning to make a farmer's omelet for brunch," Ziva carried Anthony to the kitchen and the others followed her. She put the little boy down and took eggs, vegetables, cheese, meats, and butter from the refrigerator. She handed the turkey bacon and sausage to Tony to cook and chop as she chopped mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and baby spinach leaves. LJ diced the left over potatoes from Thursday night's dinner as Gibbs broke the dozen eggs into a bowl and scrambled them. Everything was put into a cast iron skillet and then Ziva poured the egg mixture over the top.

While the farmer's omelet was baking, Tony made biscuits from scratch in the other oven. LJ set the table, and put orange juice at every place. Gibbs took the boys to wash hands. Ziva poured cups of milk for the little ones as well as the juice, and Tony filled coffee mugs for the adults.

As they were eating, Ziva asked LJ about the finger paints and other items he had brought home for the boys to use. "Could we do the finger paints outside?" she asked her youngest.

"For sure, Ima. In fact, we could strip them down to diapers or swim suits and then have them wash off in the kiddie pool afterwards. Or have them run through the sprinkler," LJ suggested. "We've used these finger paints with the preschoolers at art camp and had no problems."

"As long as they stay outside, you may use the finger paints with them. I will let you supervise the children, your Abba included!" Ziva decided. When Tony grinned at her, she turned to him, putting her hand on his arm. "And you behave yourself, Saba!"

"Always, my ninja, always…" He gave her his best puppy eyes and then a kiss.

After brunch, LJ set up the finger paints at the kiddie table in the back yard while Tony cleaned up the kitchen and Ziva put just a swim diaper on Anthony and swim pull-ups on Levi. She led the boys outside where their uncle and grandfather were waiting with the finger paints and paper. Both Tony and LJ had put on their swim trunks and taken off their t shirts. Ziva had on a pair of shorts and a halter top.

LJ showed the little boys how to use their fingers to put the paints on the paper and make streaks, swirls, and handprints in the paint. He helped Levi and Tony helped Anthony as Ziva watched and took pictures. Everything was going well until Tony and Anthony moved at the same time. Tony's hand with the blue and yellow paints on it brushed across Anthony's face leaving colorful streaks on his cheek. Anthony reached up to wipe his face at the contact and wiped the red paint from his own hand on top of the blue and green.

Levi watched the whole thing and then deliberately wiped his hand on his chest and face leaving yellow, blue and red streaks. Tony tried to wipe the paint off Anthony's face and the toddler put his hand on his Saba getting paint on Tony's face and chin. LJ grinned at his Ima who was trying not to laugh. She nodded and LJ wiped his handful of paint on his father's arm.

The four started painting each other and laughing as Ziva took picture after picture. Gibbs watched from his chair on the deck, grinning and chuckling. Ziva moved to get a closer picture of Levi's face and neck and Anthony walked over to his grandmother and wiped a hand on her face, laughing.

Ziva looked up to see Tony cheering Anthony on, "Anthony D. DiNozzo Junior, you will pay for that!" She her camera to Gibbs and took a handful of the red paint, all the while maintaining eye contact with her husband.

"What you gonna do, Zee-vah?" Tony grinned at his wife and held up his hands covered with blue and green paints. Levi and Anthony watched as Savta chased Saba and then wiped her hand all over his face, chest and neck. Saba put hand prints on Savta's back and then pulled her to him and kissed her while putting hand prints on her shorts back.

"Let's paint Saba and Savta," LJ encouraged his nephews and he and the boys started putting paint on both of them. Gibbs was laughing from his safe spot on the deck. He was taking pictures of the whole lot of them being silly.

"Get Uncle LJ!" Tony turned to wipe paint on his son as Ziva and the toddlers came at him with fresh handfuls of paint. All of it went on LJ who laughed and turned so the boys could get the paint on his back and torso.

Tony picked up the garden hose and began filling the kiddie pool and then started the sprinkler next to the pool. LJ led the boys under the falling water as Ziva stepped into the kiddie pool and splashed water at Tony. Levi remembered splashing in the bath and joined in the fun. Anthony liked running under the sprinkler with LJ. Soon all five were drenched and some of the paint was getting washed off their bodies.

"Ima, I'm going inside to take a quick shower. Then I'll get the boys into the bath while you and Abba get a shower," LJ offered.

"Sounds like a plan, LJ," Ziva ran after Anthony under the sprinkler and then picked him up and put him into the pool with Levi. Both boys splashed water at her and each other and laughed. Tony sat down with the boys and used his arm to make a wave in the pool.

"Do again, Saba!" Levi liked the wave. "More!"

"Mo!" Anthony grinned at his grandparents and splashed.

Ziva glanced at the deck, hoping Gibbs was getting some good pictures. She did a double take when she realized that he had nodded off in the chair. Tony followed her gaze and smiled, "Guess we tired him out!"

Ziva used her hand and the water to wipe paint off of the boys. The more they got off outside the less they needed to wash off in the bath later. She had the toddlers help her pour water on Tony's back to wash the paint off. She laughed out loud when Levi dumped a pail full of water over Tony's head, surprising his Saba.

Most of the paint had been at least rinsed off when LJ stepped out onto the deck in a clean t shirt and shorts. First he helped Grandpa go to his rooms to rest. When he came back outside, he called to his nephews, "Levi, Anthony, come on inside. I have your bath ready and then we can get clean clothes!" Ziva led the boys up to the deck and LJ took them inside, as Tony shut off the sprinkler. She went back to help him flip the plastic pool over to empty it.

"Let's go get our shower, Zi," he nuzzled her neck playfully as he moved them in the direction of the house. The pair used the deck door to the master suite to go inside.

Thirty minutes later, LJ was in the playroom with Levi and Anthony reading stories. Both little boys were sitting quietly, Levi sucking his thumb and Anthony leaning sleepily on LJ. Tony and Ziva came out of their room; Ziva headed to the kitchen to get something out for dinner and Tony went to check on LJ and the grandkids. He helped LJ carry the boys to their room for naps.

"All that playing outside tired them out," Tony put Anthony on his bed and tucked the plush wolf under his arm. Anthony rolled on his side, clutching the toy. LJ handed Levi his stuffed sea lion and ruffled the little boy's hair. Levi smiled sleepily and closed his eyes. "Let's hope they take a good nap today!"

Father and son headed to the kitchen where Ziva had taken out some ground beef for spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. LJ grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter. "I'm going to paint for a bit in the playroom; take advantage of the little guys' down time!"

While the toddlers napped for almost two and one half hours, LJ worked on a watercolor landscape that he had started in June. Tony and Ziva did household chores including laundry and cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms. Gibbs rested in his room in his recliner and watched a baseball game on TV.

After dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, the whole family watched Finding Nemo. LJ helped put the boys to bed and then went to his room since he had to be at work at 0700 on Monday. He planned activities for the five to seven year old group for the next two days and then went to bed.


	4. Monday

Chapter 4: Monday

LJ tried to be quiet when he got up at 0600 on Monday morning. Both of his nephews were still sleeping when he shut the bathroom door to their room to take his shower. After he showered and shaved, he opened the door to the boys' bedroom slightly and moved into his own room to get dressed. He took a pair of shorts and underwear out of his dresser and an arts camp polo shirt from his closet. As he turned to find his shoes, two little sets of arms wrapped around his legs.

"Boker tov, Levi and Anthony!" LJ tussled their hair and tried to unwrap them from his legs. "Let me put on my socks and shoes and we can go get breakfast. Savta is already in the kitchen."

"Hungee!" Levi grinned.

"Eat! Me eat!" Anthony also grinned.

LJ picked up a toddler in each arm and headed to the kitchen. "Boker tov, Ima. I found some hungry boys!" He put his nephews down and helped them into the chairs in the breakfast nook. "What's for breakfast today?" LJ poured a glass of juice for himself and filled two lidded cups with straws with milk for the little ones.

"Egg, turkey sausage, and cheese burritos; salsa if you want it," Ziva replied. She put a burrito in front of each of her grandsons and then handed LJ a plate with two of the wraps. "There is another one for you if you want it."

"Toda, Ima. Where's Abba?"

"He is in his office checking his email," Ziva replied.

"No, he's here for food!" Tony joked as he kissed his wife softly. "Smells good!" Ziva handed him his plate and they both sat down with LJ and the toddlers.

"I left the sidewalk chalk on my desk, Ima, if you want to try that with Levi and Anthony today. I also left the kinetic sand in resealable buckets. I think there's a bucket of blue, and two of red sand. It's not messy unless it gets spilled. Outside where we did the finger painting yesterday would be a good place to play with the sand."

Ziva nodded at her youngest. "We shall see what the day brings. Toda, LJ. Their parents should be back by the time you get home."

LJ finished his breakfast and put his dishes in the dishwasher. "Thanks for breakfast, Ima. I'll see you all later."

"Bye, Unka Blue Jay!" Levi wrapped his arms around LJ's legs again and Anthony followed his cousin.

"Bye-bye," Anthony grinned up at LJ.

LJ crouched down and hugged the boys, 'I'll see you later today. I love you, Levi and Anthony. Have fun with Saba and Savta." He then hugged his Ima before heading out the door to work.

Tony cleared the empty breakfast dishes from the table as Ziva wiped the boys' hands and faces with a wet cloth. "I've got the kitchen, Zi; you can get them dressed today…" Tony offered.

Ziva nodded her agreement and led the boys to their room to get clothes changed. She dressed them in matching denim shorts and t shirts with characters from the Disney movie Cars. Levi twice pulled the socks off that she put on him; Anthony imitated his cousin. "I give up," she sighed. "You can stay bare-footed unless we go out." She gathered up the clothing they had worn over the weekend and headed to the laundry room. The toddlers followed their Savta until they spotted Saba in the family room.

"Levi, Anthony," Saba called out to them. "Do you want to make bubbles in the yard?" He held up the gallon of bubble solution and the giant bubble-making wand. Anthony squealed and clapped his hands and Levi grinned. They both loved when Saba made the giant bubbles.

"Zi, we're going out back," Tony called to his wife. "Come on out when you get the laundry started!" He opened the sliding door and both boys ran outside and then followed him to the plastic table where they had finger-painted the day before. Tony put the dish on the table and poured bubble solution into it. He dipped the wand into the dish and slowly waved it in the air forming the giant bubbles that his grandsons loved.

Anthony jumped and giggled as Levi tried to catch the large bubble. When Anthony held up his hand the bubble popped. "Uh-oh," Anthony frowned at Saba. "Mo!"

Tony formed another bubble and then quickly made a second bubble so each boy had one. He showed them how to blow on the bubbles to make them move and spin. They both were grinning and giggling when Ziva stepped out on the deck.

"Savta, look!" Levi pointed to the bubbles floating with the light breeze in the yard. Ziva joined the group at the small table and picked up the smaller wands. She started making lots of small bubbles as Tony added more big bubbles. Anthony had one of the smaller bubbles land on his hand. He reached to touch it with his other hand, popping it. It left some stickiness on his fingers. He put them in his mouth to lick them off.

Tony and Ziva both saw him put his hand to his mouth, but couldn't react quick enough to avoid the toddler getting a taste of soap. He made a face and spit the nasty taste out. Tony couldn't help laughing, but he did offer his bottle of water to the baby to rinse away the taste.

"Poo-eee," Anthony stuck his tongue out and made a sour face. He grabbed the water bottle and drank, swallowing several times.

"What he do?" Levi asked Saba. "Why he spit?"

"He tasted the yucky soap," Tony answered. "It would make me spit too!"

"Oh, it bad spit."

Ziva smiled at Levi, "It is okay to get the nasty taste out of his mouth, Levi. Even though spitting in general is not nice, this time it is okay."

As the grandparents went back to making bubbles for the boys, Gibbs came out on the deck. Levi spotted his Papa and ran to the deck.

"Papa! Bubbles! Big bubbles! See bubbles?" Levi was so excited he forgot about the step up to the deck and fell forward onto the deck. Ziva dropped the two small bubble wands she had been holding and ran to him. "I okay, Savta." Ziva looked at his hands and knees; just a few small scrapes and no blood.

"Okay, motek. Remember to walk when you are near the deck."

Tony had turned to watch Ziva check Levi. Anthony looked at his cousin and then took off running towards the back of the yard, laughing as he chased a large bubble. "Buh-buh!" he laughed as the bubble moved across the yard, rising and falling with the air currents. "A-ba; mo!" he yelled out.

"More bubbles Saba, pweese!" Levi ran back to where Anthony was still chasing the large bubble. Tony obliged by creating four more large bubbles and Ziva made dozens of smaller bubbles.

"Maybe we can tire them out again with the bubbles," Ziva remarked. "That way they will take good naps after lunch and will be rested when their parents come to get them."

"Speaking of parents, what time are we expecting Tali, Chaim, Anthony, and Katie?"

"Tali sent me a text when they left New York earlier. If traffic is not too bad, they should be here around 1500," Ziva did a quick mental time calculation. "I do not know if any of them are staying for dinner. I am sure Tali and Chaim will want to get to their house. Anthony and Katie are spending the night with Dee and Tim before they head back to Ohio."

Tony watched the toddlers chasing the bubbles; "I wish we could see more of Anthony! At least they aren't too far away; it could be a lot further than a bit over four hundred miles!"

Ziva nodded and glanced at her watch; it was almost lunch time. She put the two bubble wands back in the jar of bubble solution and told Tony she was going inside to prepare lunch. Once at the deck, she asked Gibbs if he wanted to eat with them. When he replied to the affirmative, she decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone. She knew Levi loved grilled cheese, and Anthony ate just about anything.

After lunch, Tony cleaned up the kitchen while Gibbs headed to his rooms to take a nap and Ziva took the boys to the playroom. She planned to read to them, but both little ones decided that they wanted to play with the blocks. Tony found the three on the floor of the playroom stacking blocks to make tall towers. He watched as Ziva helped Levi place a block on the top of a tower that was almost as tall as the toddler. Savta Ziva, he thought. Being a grandmother had been something neither of their mothers had lived to see.

"Saba; play!" Levi spotted his grandfather watching them. He ran over to Saba and tugged on his hand, pulling him in the direction of the other two stacking blocks. Tony sat on the floor next to Ziva and started helping Levi create a new stack.

"Let's get a tower that's bigger than Savta's and Anthony's," he suggested to Levi. He showed the boy how to build a base and the pair stacked blocks as Ziva and Anthony built their own stack. Soon, both adults were standing and holding the boys to make stacks that were closing in on five feet tall each. There was one last block on the floor; Tony and Ziva grabbed for it at the same time, locking eyes.

They both had hold of the block, eyes fixed on the other's gaze, not saying a word with their mouths but speaking volumes with their eyes. The toddlers watched their grandparents for a minute and then moved away to find something more exciting. In tandem, both little ones toppled their own towers, letting out peals of laughter.

"Do again, Saba. More blocks, Savta!" Levi started stacking blocks again and Anthony followed his cousin's lead. Ziva and Tony helped the boys make tall towers again. Anthony started rubbing at his eyes and Levi put his thumb in his mouth as they were adding the last blocks to the towers.

"Okay, crash the towers," Tony urged the toddlers. Both boys pushed the blocks over, making a big crash. They laughed and jumped with excitement. Tony picked up Levi and Ziva took Anthony into her arms.

"Time for naps," Ziva informed them.

"NO!" Levi and Anthony said together. Tony met gazes with Ziva over the boys' heads. This might be a struggle to get them to rest today. They carried the toddlers into the bedroom and Tony helped Levi use the bathroom. Ziva checked Anthony's diaper. Grandparents placed the little ones on the beds, each sitting down next to a boy. Tony rubbed Levi's back as the little boy sucked his thumb while listening to Savta sing to her grandsons. Ziva rubbed Anthony's back as she sang. In about fifteen minutes, both boys were asleep.

"I hope they sleep for a while," Ziva whispered as she and Tony tiptoed out into the hallway. "We do not need to hand over cranky boys to their parents!"

The toddlers were still napping when their parents arrived at 1445. Tali was the first one in the front door, making a bee line for the hall bathroom. Chaim shrugged, "This baby has her using the restroom frequently!" At five months pregnant, the couple knew that big brother Levi would be welcoming a baby brother in December.

Anthony headed to the kitchen in search of food. Katie hugged her mother-in-law, "Like father, like son!" Ziva nodded, the statement was true for multiple generations. "He just ate lunch two hours ago…"

"Plenty of time to get hungry again," Tony replied as he and Anthony came into the family room with apples in their hands. "Two hours is a long time to go without food." He grinned at Ziva and took a bite of his apple. Anthony grinned at his Ima and hugged her.

"So, were the boys good for you?" Tali came into the room with the others.

Ziva hugged her oldest, "Of course; we had so much fun with them. How was your trip?"

"We had a blast, even though the first night was weird without kids," Katie replied. "I kept thinking someone was missing." Tali nodded her agreement. Both mothers had felt the absence of the boys. "The play was awesome. We got to go to the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and even rode the carousel there."

"Yesterday we went to the 911 memorial and museum, and then to MOMA. Very sobering to see the reflection pool and the artifacts," Chaim added. All of them had been affected by the memorial. They had decided to go to MOMA as a way to unwind and decompress. Chaim's grandfather had been one of the victims from the North Tower. When they had found the name on the engraved bronze of the reflection pool, Chaim had broken down in Tali's arms. He had traced the name with his fingers, wondering about his namesake who he only knew from his mother's memories and a picture of the man with Chaim's mother. His grandmother had died a year after he was born.

Ziva could sense the sadness in her son-in-law and squeezed his hand. She understood his loss all too well. Chaim smiled at his mother-in-law and squeezed her hand back. "Toda," he said quietly. "Enough of the sadness; what did you and the kids do for fun?"

"They tired us out!" Tony quipped. "Seriously, we took them to the National Zoo on Saturday and rode the Metro. The boys loved the Kids' Farm and the American Trail exhibits."

Ziva laughed, "Of course your Abba would leave out that he bought each of the boys a new stuffed animal. I bought them both books about the animals that we saw. Yesterday, we used the finger paints that LJ got for the boys. We ended up painting each other!"

Tali and Anthony met gazes and rolled their eyes. Of course Ima and Abba would end up painting each other, LJ, and the boys with the finger paints. Even though their parents were older, they were still Ima and Abba! Tali was about to ask what else they had done when two little arms wrapped around her legs.

"IMA!" Levi hugged his mother. Anthony was right behind his cousin and made a running bee line for his mom. She scooped him into her arms.

"Ma-ma!" Anthony grinned at his parents, holding up his plush wolf from Saba. He then tipped his head back and howled. "Oof." Levi heard his cousin and howled with him.

"Wolf, Ima. Ze'ev, Abba!" Levi explained to his parents. He held up his plush sea lion for them to see. All four parents laughed at the toddlers' antics.

Gibbs came into the family room as the boys were howling a second time. "I thought I heard some wolves in here," he grinned at his great-grandsons. He hugged Tali and Katie and tussled both little ones' hair. "They were fun to have visit." Tali put Levi down and the boy ran to Papa.

"Luf you Papa," he hugged Gibbs' legs. Anthony squirmed and Katie put him down and he ran over to his cousin and Papa.

"Pa-pa!" Anthony grinned up at Gibbs.

Tali, Katie, and Ziva headed to the boys' room to finish packing up clothes and toys to head home, or to the McGee house. Tali spotted the new outfits Ziva bought for the boys.

"Ima, did you buy them MORE clothes?"

"Ken, I got some great deals on shorts and t shirts for both boys. And they look so cute in matching outfits," Ziva smiled at Tali's eye roll. "Besides, it is a grandparent's right to spoil the grandchildren!"

Tali sighed; Levi had so many outfits that Ziva had purchased that the new baby would get hand-me-downs that were barely worn. She finished packing Levi's bag and carried it to the front hallway. Katie thanked Ziva for the clothes and zipped Anthony's bag to take to the entranceway.

"Time to go, Levi," Tali called out as she walked back to the family room. Levi looked at his Ima. "Let's go home, Levi."

"Bye, Papa. Bye, Savta. Bye, Saba," Levi hugged each one. "Bye, Anthony." He hugged his cousin tightly. "Luf you." Anthony hugged Levi and grinned. All of the adults snapped pictures with their phones of the two little boys hugging and saying their good byes.

Tali, Chaim and Levi left to go home. Tony helped Anthony put their bags into the van. "Gonna miss you, son," he hugged Anthony. "Been great having you visit, and I sure wish you lived closer!"

"I'm working on that, Abba. But for now, we're only seven hours away." Anthony opened the sliding door as Katie and Ziva came outside. He picked up his son, "Up you go, little man. Time to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house." He secured the toddler in his car seat and then climbed in the other side, letting his wife sit up front with Abba.

When Tony came back from dropping Anthony and family at the McGee house, Ziva was sitting in the play room. "I miss them already," she said as she put the last of the books and blocks away. "I am glad we got to spend time with the boys this weekend. They may not remember it, but we will!"

Tony pulled Ziva to him, "So, my ninja Savta, what are we going to do with a quiet house?"

"I am sure we will find things to do, sexy Saba."


End file.
